Campus & Community

Graduate Dean’s Awards Recognize Excellence in Research and Creative Work

Monday, March 4, 2024, By Diane Stirling

Nine students will be honored with the Graduate Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Work at a ceremony hosted by the on .

Winners were selected from a pool of 72 nominees by a panel of faculty members who serve on the Graduate Faculty Council. The awards are presented annually to recognize overall academic excellence and outstanding research and creative activities by master’s and doctoral students. Honorees receive a certificate of recognition and a $500 award.

person with suit and tie looking forward

Peter Vanable

“The creativity, innovation and broad range of concepts and interests represented by the entire group of submissions was extremely impressive this year. Our 2024 honorees presented especially exciting talent and capability in their academic work and creative projects, and we congratulate them,” says , dean of the Graduate School.

The award winners will present brief overviews of their research or creative work at the awards ceremony. This year’s honorees are:

  • Fatima Dobani, a doctoral candidate studying clinical psychology in the : “Multiracial Youth Alcohol Misuse”
  • Kellan D.L. Head, doctoral candidate, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences: “Evaluating Beliefs and Epistemic Value”
  • Jingjing Ji, doctoral candidate, chemical engineering, : “Designing Tomorrow’s Therapies Through Advances in Computational Modeling”
  • Qingyang Liu, doctoral candidate, human development and family science, : “Differential Growth Trajectories of Behavioral Self-Regulation from Early Childhood to Adolescence: Implication for Youth Domain-General and School-Specific Outcomes”
  • Jessie Codell McClanahan, a master’s degree candidate in studio arts in the : “Hollers, Hills, & Buckshot: Anthologies of Appalachia.”
  • Emily Pifer, doctoral candidate in composition and cultural rhetoric, College of Arts and Sciences: “Pulling Up the Tangled Roots of Rural Nostalgia”
  • Ashley Schiros, doctoral candidate in clinical psychology, College of Arts and Sciences: “Misinformation Mayhem: The Effects of TikTok Content on ADHD Knowledge, Stigma and Treatment-Seeking Intentions”
  • Ryan Wen, doctoral candidate, mass communications, : “The Model Minority Stereotype Imposed on Asians in the United States and Their Neglected Health Disparities”
  • Julia Zeh, doctoral candidate, biology, College of Arts and Sciences: “Investigating Vocal Development in Humpback Whales.”

Eight other candidates were also named for honorable mention recognition:

  • Aatif Abbas, doctoral candidate, philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Mary Helander, doctoral candidate, social science,
  • Yushan Liu, master’s degree candidate, film, College of Visual and Performing Arts
  • Abigail Long, doctoral candidate, composition and cultural rhetoric, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Samantha Maguire, doctoral candidate, school psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Teresa Ott, master’s degree candidate, creative writing, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Ashley Prow, doctoral candidate, earth sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Laura Streib, doctoral candidate, earth sciences, College of Arts and Sciences